


City of Shadows

by literallyhelp



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Kidnapping, POV Alternating, Protective Jace Wayland, Rape/Non-con Elements, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23899801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literallyhelp/pseuds/literallyhelp
Summary: Freedom tasted sweet, but all they got was a taste.Just days after escaping Sebsatian for the first time, he finds them again. Jace and Clary had lost the trust of their brother, earning them the punishment of a lifetime. How long could they survive locked in a house in an unknown location? How long could Sebastian hold himself back from lusting after his sister? Would they ever see their family again?
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Clary Fray/Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern | Sebastian Verlac
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've found myself writing more and more. I understand that this story does not follow the plot in the book, so let me give you a short preface! Jace and Sebastian were bound by Lilith, but Clary managed to break their bond without Sebastian knowing. The last day that Jace and Clary saw Sebastian was in Italy, when Jace beat Sebastian to near death for harassing Clary. No heavenly fire in this story!

CHAPTER ONE

_Clary!_

She could hear her name being screaming from behind the fog of her unconscious.

_Leave her alone!_

The shouting stayed distant, but the harder Clary listened, the more she could make out.

_Don’t take her, please! Please, Sebastian, just leave her be._

The voice was desperate, Clary could tell. She could feel her mind being jolted awake, but her body refused to move. She tried to make sense of what was going on in the world around her.

The last thing Clary remembered was the look on Jace’s face. He looked shocked, but Clary knew that nothing caught Jace off guard. They were supposed to be safe in the Idris countryside. They had only been away from the Lightwoods for a few hours, long enough to sneak into an open meadow and roll around with one another.

The more she thought, the more her head began to pound. However, she began to take in her new situation. She was shivering on a concrete slab, having not been changed out of her denim pants and black tank top that she had been wearing while spending her afternoon with her boyfriend, Jace.

_Jace_ , Clary thought. He had been screaming. It was his voice begging for her to be left alone. She wondered if he was shivering the way she was.

“And why should I do that, little brother?” Clary focused on the voices that were beginning to flow into her conscious mind. “You left me alone in Venice, why should I not leave you alone here?”

Clary had never heard Jace beg. He was much too proud to let anyone in on his soft side, but here he was, continuing to beg for her to be left alone. She wondered what was going on. She gathered that Sebastian was in the same room as them, which caused goosebumps to form across her pale skin, but her eyes were far too heavy for her to realize what was going on besides that.

“Just leave her be,” Jace continued. “Please, brother, if you have any love for me. I’ll go with you again, I’ll do anything.”

“That is quite honorable of you, Jace, but you have broken my heart. Clarissa, on the other hand, she can be taught. You are too far gone.” Sebastian said, his voice making Clary nauseous.

“I’ll do _anything_.” Jace begged. Clary wondered how hard it would be for her to open her eyes and see what was going on. Why was Jace so desperate?

So, she tried. It felt like she had superglue along her dark red lashes, making it impossible for her lids to part, but after trying, she was able to bring her conscious mind forward and take control over her aching body. The familiar burn of an _iratze_ stung her skin, but still the back of her head ached.

“Jace?” Clary managed to whimper out, reaching her hand around to touch the back of her head. While there was no blood, it had been bleeding at one point, due to the matting. Her green eyes took in her surroundings, though there wasn’t much to take in. They were in a small cell-like room with one barred window and chains on the walls. It smelt of mildew and rust, but all that Clary could focus on was the two men in the room with her.

Jace was strung up on the wall furthest from her, his body kneeling on the same concrete that she was laying on. He was looking at her with the same desperation that was in his voice, seemingly unworried about the way his hands were attached to the wall by the metal handcuffs and two-foot chain. His wrists were bright red due to the friction of him pulling on the old chains.

Sebastian stood adjacent to Jace, a nasty smirk on his face. “Hello, Clarissa,” He gawked at her with an amused look on his brow. He was just as Clary remembered. Tall, skinny, and ominous. The last time they had all been together was in Italy, when Sebastian was trying to force Clary into creating a rune for him. She fought against him as he held her down, begging for Jace. Of course, Jace, being unattached from his brother, had no problem fighting for Clary. He left Sebastian on the ground, good as dead, while Clary drew a portal to Alicante. They were immediately taken into the Gard and separated for questioning but found themselves together in the old Lightwood mansion by the end of the day.

Clary forced her aching muscles to push her into a sitting position, despite how badly her head hurt. “Sebastian,” She acknowledged her brother in a monotone voice, trying not to let on the fear that was pulsing through her veins. The small girl looked back to Jace desperately, but Sebastian stood in front of him, blocking the view from her protector.

“Why don’t you come with me, Clary, and we can get you cleaned up?” Sebastian offered a hand to his younger sister, but Clary instantly refused.

“No, I’m fine.” She said calmly, trying to steady her heart rate. She remembered the way his lips felt on hers one of the first times they met, and how Jace had to pry his hands off of her waist the last time they saw him. She was surprised he didn’t leave any marks by how tightly he was holding on to her.

With a roll of his black eyes, Sebastian began to take strides across the small room. He was able to get to Clary before she could even blink.

“Jace!” Clary exclaimed desperately, using all her strength to hit and kick Sebastian as he grabbed her arm. He lifted her off of the ground, but not enough to stand up, or even get enough momentum to stand up, then simply slammed her against the wall. Her head hit the concrete and Clary felt warmth, signaling to her that her previous wound was now open again.

She felt icy cold metal against her wrists one at a time, then, before either of them knew it, Sebastian was gone. Clary looked at Jace desperately, mirroring his same expression.

“Jace,” Clary whispered, her voice echoing off of the bare walls. “What’s going on? Where are we?”

“I have no idea.” Jace whispered back, just the sound of his voice calming Clary. “We were in Idris and Sebastian came out of nowhere. I swear, Clary, I had no idea.” He begged for her to believe him, as if she had a reason not to. “And the hit you in the back of the head before I could stop him. He portaled up straight to this room, I don’t know where we are.”

“Are _you_ okay?” Clary asked, wondering if he was hurt at all. She knew Jace like the back of her hand, and she knew that he was not a part of their kidnapping.

“Clary, please. Look at me, I’m great.” Jace remarked, hoping to earn a smile or even a laugh from his girlfriend. She looked so pitiful against the dark wall, her curly red hair frizzing up around her face.

“I wish I was closer to you.” She whispered, then used all her energy to scoot as far forward as she could. Jace noticed and did the same, unfolding his legs from under himself and stretching out to his full extent. They were able to touch their toes, and even that simple act brought both of them comfort.

Neither of them had any clue as to what Sebastian wanted with them. Did he want to pick up where they left off and try and travel the world again? Certainly not, or else he wouldn’t have them locked up in a box.

The silence made Clary’s mind wander. Would they die down here? They didn’t tell the Lightwoods that they had left to enjoy one another’s company in a much more private area, knowing that they would have been followed by a chaperone. Would anyone come looking for them? Surely, someone would notice that Jace and Clary were not in their respected rooms and nowhere to be found. They were practically famous in Idris, being known as _Valentine’s Children_. There would be search parties by the end of the night.

“What if…” Clary began, breaking their long silence. “What if he separates us?” That was her biggest worry. She had come a far enough way in her training to be able to defend herself, but she was such a small girl and Sebastian was so much larger than her. He had pinned her down so easily the last time they met. If Jace wasn’t there… She didn’t even want to think about what would have happened. It wasn’t a secret that her brother was physically attracted to her. The thought made her sick, and if she had anything in her stomach, she probably could have turned to the side and released it, but they had skipped breakfast that morning to get out.

“Clary, listen to me.” Jace said seriously, scooting back so he could sit up straight. Clary did the same thing and looked into his tawny eyes, trying to read his mind, to see if she knew what he was going to say before he said it. “Nobody is going to hurt you. Okay? I’m here, I’m going to take care of you. We’re going to stay together.”

His confident voice soothed Clary to an extent, but still her blood tremored through her veins, not quite making it to the tips of her fingers.

“I love you. No matter what.” She whispered to him. Hopefully, they would make it out of there so Clary could continue telling Jace that she loved him until they got old, but just in case she didn’t, Clary wanted him to know.

“I love you too, Fray.” Jace whispered back. They sat in silence for a longer period than before. It was hard being just out of reach from the person that you loved. However, despite her anxiety, she found her eyes becoming too heavy to keep open. She remembered hearing Jace encouraging her to get some rest, and so, she did.

* * *

The next time Clary opened her eyes, she felt a strong pain all over her body. Her shoulders were sore from the position they had been stuck in, her back was tender because she had fallen asleep sitting upright, and her head was absolutely _killing_ her.

“Jace?” Clary muttered, forcing her eyes open. The room was still dark, but she could see his sleeping figure slumped against the wall. At least he was still in the room. That was all she could ask for. Well, that and an _iratze_ to help ease her pain. She rolled her head to the side and felt her vertebrae move and crack, then sat up at straightened her back to continue the process. Hopefully, that would help ease some of the pain she was feeling.

“My sweet sister, I see that you’re finally awake.” Sebastian’s voice boomed through the room from a dark corner. Clary shuddered at his voice, then turned her head to try and make out his silhouette.

“Sebastian,” Clary greeted him, her eyes glancing between him and her sleeping boyfriend.

“Are you ready to go get cleaned up?” He asked her as he stalked towards her.

“I don’t think Jace would be very happy if he saw that I was missing when he woke up.” Clary rebutted, completely diverting his question away. “You know how _unpredictable_ he is.”

“I don’t seem to think that our brother will be any problem right now.” Sebastian commented under his breath while he unlocked Clary’s shackles.

“ _What?_ ” Clary snapped. Her eyes turned to Jace, giving him her full attention. She observed the way his chest rose and fell, indicating that he was still alive. “Jace!” Clary shouted for him. Sebastian had leaned over and scooped his sister off of the ground, holding her tightly despite all the effort she put in to fight him. “Jace!’ Clary screamed again, her screams matched the same desperation that Jace had shared upon their arrival.


	2. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

After his first time exiting the room, Sebastian began to pace. He was in a mansion that his father once owned, somewhere in Idris. He knew that the Lightwoods would be too naïve to search right under their own noses. The same room he had locked Clary and Jace in once held greater demons and angels, so he had no worries of his siblings escaping without his knowledge.

If he could just have Clary, he would, but he also knew that Jace never left Clary’s side without good reason. He was also very upset with his brother, and he knew that the best way to torment him was to pester Clary and make sure that Jace could do nothing to aid the helpless girl. It would be so easy for him to kill Jace, but then he would lose all hope for Clary’s love one day.

This time, Sebastian would keep his siblings under his lock and key and not make the mistake to let them roam free as he did the last time. Somehow, Clary had managed to unlink the brothers from one another. He wished that he knew how, so he could have seen the warning signs, but his mind drew blanks. He wondered if his sister was such a little minx that Jace found the will to separate himself and deny his brother the pleasure of sharing her. How greedy could Jace Herondale be?

Sebastian began to boil with fury at the thought. Jace wanted nothing more than to ruin his chance of being loved. _No,_ He thought to himself. _Jace will not deny me of my needs._ With that thought, he set out the plan how he would get Clary to love him. Would he have to bind her to him the way that he bound Jace? That was nearly impossible without his Greater Demon mother, but he could find a way to make it happen. That could take years, though, and he couldn’t wait for that. He would begin with trying to make it happen naturally, he guessed.

After sitting in a lounge chair and contemplating for a while, he noticed the sun rising. He had been there for hours. Sebastian decided to make another move to get Clary upstairs with him, so he head down towards the chambers of imprisonment, then quietly pushed the metal door open. To his surprise, both Jace and Clary were sleeping. Deciding that he didn’t want the issue of dealing with his brother, he made his first stop in the room to trace a sleeping rune on Jace’s warm, exposed skin. How could he still be so warm, when across the same room, Clary was trembling? Jace slumped even more, the rune causing him to fall into a deeper sleep. He decided that he had all the time in the world, and propped himself up against a wall, waiting for Clary to naturally wake up.

Upon her eyes opening, Sebastian let her get adjusted before greeting her. “My sweet sister, I see that you’re finally awake.” His voice sounded unnaturally nice coming from his lips. It made him sick, but hopefully it would make Clary feel comfortable. He saw her cringe at the sound of his voice. _Okay,_ He noted. _Too nice_.

“Sebastian,” Clary muttered loud enough for him to hear. He noticed how her large green eyes couldn’t stay on him.

“Are you ready to go get cleaned up?” He asked her as he took strides towards her. They both knew that it was not an option this time, that she was coming with him. He stopped listening to her when she mentioned how upset Jace would be. “I don’t seem to think that our brother will be any problem right now.”

Clary screamed the whole way up the stairs, pounding her tiny fists on Sebastian’s muscular back and attempting to make her feet collide with his stomach, but to no avail. Sebastian carried her easily through the house and straight into a bedroom.

“No, please.” Clary began to beg. It felt different to hear his siter beg as opposed to his brother. Seeing the young man plead brought his pleasure, knowing that he had the upper hand really joyed Sebastian. However, it was different for Clary. He felt annoyed at her small voice insinuating that his intentions were to hurt her. He obviously had the upper hand over her, being twice her size and nearly a foot taller than her. He could bend her to his every will if he so chose so. Once in the bedroom, he locked the door behind her and placed her on the ground.

“The bathroom is here.” He stated, using his large hand to guide her by the small of her back towards the tiled bathroom. “Go ahead and start your shower, I’ll grab you a towel. This door stays unlocked, or I will take it away. Do you understand?”

Clary stared into her brother’s eyes desperately, then gave him a small nod of understanding. He stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him, and waiting to hear the shower start. As soon as it did, he went to the adjacent closet and picked out a small white towel, similar to the ones that hotels provide for pool usage. He knew that it would wrap around Clary’s petite figure, and most likely be long enough to cover everything that she wanted covered, but if he was lucky, he may still get a glance at her creamy pale legs. He went back to the bathroom and opened the door without knocking, causing Clary, who was already in the steamy shower, to try and cover herself with her extremities to blind Sebastian from seeing her naked body through the glass door.

“Relax, Clarissa.” He noted, still letting his eyes wander. “Here’s the towel, I’ll be outside when you’re done. I’ll show you where the clothes are.”

Sebastian placed the towel on the counter, then walked out and waited on the bed. It took quite some time, and Sebastian was beginning to worry for his sister, but right before he wanted to go and check on her, the shower turned off. _Jeez,_ He thought to himself. _Girls really do take a while in the shower_. He wondered if she had spent that time shaving her legs or running the vanilla scented conditioner he got her through her long, curly hair.

Clary walked out a few moments later, and Sebastian was amazed with her. She held the towel to her body like a second skin, hugging what little curves she had. Her hair was damp, near dripping at the ends, and all pulled to one side. She wasn’t able to look at Sebastian, and he wondered if she was embarrassed. If only she knew the way she was making him feel in that moment. If he weren’t trying to take his time, he could easily throw her onto the bed he was sitting on and have his way with her, but he needed her trust before he pursued her.

“Come sister, you must be freezing.” Sebastian stood up and walked towards the closet he had pulled the towel from, then opened the sliding door to reveal a men’s wardrobe. “Pick whatever you please.”

Clary timidly stood beside him, using her right hand to grasp the towel in front of her and her left to sort through the hanging clothes. She settled on a black sweater and dark grey sweatpants, struggling to hold both of those in addition to her towel. Sebastian took the clothes from her and placed them on the bed, then crossed the room to a dresser. He opened the top drawer, exposing a bunch of women’s underwear.

“I assumed you’re a small or an extra small. And I couldn’t decide on the bra sizes, so I didn’t get you any.” He told her, his black eyes continuously taking her body in.

“Thanks.” Clary muttered, slowly trailing behind him until she got to the dresser. She grabbed the first pair of cotton underwear that she could get her hands on, then walked back towards the bathroom, making a stop at the bed to pick up the clothes.

Sebastian wanted to tell her that she didn’t need to go back to the bathroom to change, that she should be comfortable changing in front of him, but he didn’t want to push her. She was cooperating much nicer than he expected.

“You must be hungry.” Sebastian commented once she had stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed.

“I want Jace.” Clary rebutted, disregarding his question.

This frustrated him, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. She was working with him, so he would work with her. _Compromise, Sebastian._ He told himself.

“Then let’s go get him.” Sebastian replied. He gently grabbed Clary’s arm, right above her elbow, then led her through the house and back down the stairs. He knew that she was taking everything in, but he didn’t mind. This would be her home for a while, she might as well see it. His grip was tight, just in case Clary decided to run from him, but it wasn’t tight enough to cause any pain. He could feel her tensing up the closer they got to the room that Jace was in. He was yelling for her. They could both hear his voice muffled by the metal door.

As soon as the door was open, Clary pulled away from Sebastian and ran towards Jace, her bare feet padding quietly against the ground. Her arms went around his neck and she held herself to his body, and Jace nested his face against the crook of her neck, seeing as his arms couldn’t reach around her. Sebastian could hear them mumbling to each other, whispering how grateful they were that the other was okay. He was so sure that he could hear Jace promising his brother’s death upon anything bad happening to Clary, which made a small chuckle erupt from the tall blonde’s chest. He had had enough of being nice, especially if Jace was going to act the way he was. Sebastian walked over to Clary and forced her up, despite her demands for him to stop, then pulled her back to the wall she had spent the night chained to. He only locked one arm in place before silently leaving the room.

_And to think, I was going to host breakfast at a table._ Sebastian thought as he climbed the stairs. _I will be respected._

The blonde man shook his head and fixed up a very simple breakfast, oatmeal topped with fresh fruit, and served it to them with a bottle of water. Neither of his siblings thanked him upon delivering the food, which only aggravated him more. He unlocked one of Jace’s wrists, allowing him to stretch out and be able to eat, then walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. He waited a while, taking his time to cool down and grow his patience back, before going to check on his siblings again.

It was obvious that they had been talking prior to his arrival, but they grew quiet suddenly. Taking a deep breath, Sebastian prepared himself for his headstrong brother. “Jace,” He started, his eyes falling on him. “Would you like to come shower?”

Sebastian could see the wheels turning in Jace’s head. He was trying to figure out a way to calculate his way through the situation. He was two steps ahead of his brother, though. As he began walking, he turned immediately towards Clary. Once her wrist was unlocked from the metal shackle, he handed her the two bowls that their breakfast was served in, then pulled a seraph blade from his boot.

“I didn’t do anything!” Clary exclaimed, practically jumping out of her own skin.

“This isn’t intended to hurt you, dear sister, this is so our brother behaves.” Sebastian replied, his hand finding the crook of her elbow. She was trembling in fear while Jace trembled in anger. Sebastian thrived off of it.

Sebastian unlocked Jace’s arm, letting it fall to the ground, then gave him time to muster up the strength to pull himself up. Black eyes linked with tawny eyes as the eldest watched the younger boy take in Sebastian’s stance. He was getting ready to fight.

“Go on, then.” Sebastian nodded towards the door, his hand tightening around Clary. “Or would you rather Clary lead us? She knows exactly where to go.”

Jace grumbled to himself, then took the lead. Sebastian followed him, warning him to not run off, seeing as Clary had no way to follow him. As they walked, Jace following Sebastian’s directions through the house, he continued to look back and check on Clary, who would flash him meek smiles in hopes to calm him down. The act was so sweet that it almost made Sebastian sick.


	3. Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Seeing Clary walk down with Sebastian made Jace sick. His body was weak and fatigued when he woke, and that made his suspicious as to how he slept through Clary leaving the room. He knew that Sebastian had done something to him, but had he done something to his girlfriend? She had clung onto him as tightly as she could, promising that she was okay, until the moment that Sebastian had simply yanked her off of him and chained her back up.

She took that time to explain what had happened, how Sebastian allowed her to shower with the door closed, but still walked in while she showered, how he allowed her to pick clean clothes to wear and let her choose from a drawer full of panties to wear. They talked about a plan to leave, how they would get out of the mysterious house, but were unable to come to a conclusion due to the fact that Sebastian strolled in with food for them to eat and a cold bottle of water. They ate and drank in silence, then continued planning until Sebastian came back down.

“Jace, would you like to come shower?” Sebastian asked, breaking the silence that fell among them.

Jace eyed Sebastian up and down, searching him for any weapons. He wanted to figure out a way to get the upper hand. However, Sebastian turned immediately towards Clary, unlocking her arm, then pulling her up. Their breakfast bowls were placed in her hands, then Sebastian suddenly pulled out a blade.

“I didn’t do anything!” Clary gasped, her hair bouncing with her as she tried to jump out of the way of the glowing blade.

“This isn’t intended to hurt you, dear sister, this is so our brother behaves.” Sebastian whispered into her ear, his eyes never leaving Jace. He watched as he gripped his girlfriend’s arm and held back his yells to order Sebastian to release her.

When his arm was released from the shackle, Jace stood as quickly as his body allowed, then balled his fists at his sides, ready to swing at any second.

“Go on, then.” Sebastian indicated for his brother to begin walk towards the door. Jace heard Clary forcibly swallow a whimper when his grip tightened on her arm. “Or would you rather Clary lead us? She knows exactly where to go.” His voice was taunting Jace.

For Clary’s sake, Jace kept to himself, then began walking.

“Don’t go running off now, brother. I don’t think Clarissa could keep up.” The taller, platinum blonde boy noted as he directed him towards the back of the house.

Jace made sure to check on Clary every few steps, making sure that she wasn’t struggling keeping up, or wasn’t being groped silently behind him by her monster of a brother. Every time he looked back, Clary’s big green eyes were on him, and she would flash him a calming smile.

They walked into a bedroom, Jace assumed that it was the same one Clary had been in, because her dirt clothes were on a pile on the ground. Sebastian sat Clary down on the bed and kept his blade in her face while shooing Jace into the bathroom to get cleaned up. He made a comment while Jace was still able to head that he wished that he could still trust his siblings, but they had broken him too badly. Jace could hear Clary trying to comfort him before he turned on the shower, and it made his stomach turn.

How could someone so sweet, so innocent, justifiably comfort a monster? How could they have come from the same parents? Two polar opposite siblings. It showed Jace that people became people by nurture rather than nature.

He showered hastily, not relishing the thought of Clary being left alone with her perverted brother on a bed. Once he was clean and delivered a dry towel, Jace pulled the first two things out of the closet that he could get his hands on, was handed a pair of underwear by Sebastian, then quickly changed in privacy. Once they were all together in the bedroom, Sebastian began to address them.

“Things cannot go back to the way they were. Not yet. I don’t trust either of you.” He began, his blade still shining in Clary’s face, like he was ready to jump at any second. “So, that being said, you will only be allowed in the house when supervised. This can be as temporary as you want it. As soon as you gain my trust back, we can assign bedrooms and then work our way from there. I can have blankets down in your chambers to make you comfortable.”

“Sebastian,” Clary’s soft voice pulled both of the boys’ attention to her. “We’re really sorry for leaving.”

Jace knew exactly what she was doing, and she was good at it. She was an expert at manipulating Sebastian, seeing as he had quite the soft spot for her.

“You just really scared us… You know, the last time. We didn’t know what to do.” She continued on, wrapping her arms around her defensively.

_He did more than scare us_ , Jace thought in reply to Clary’s argument. _I thought he had really hurt you; I was out for blood._

“You could have told me that, sister.” Sebastian whispered sadly to her. “But instead, you left me.”

If Jace didn’t know any better, he would have guessed that Sebastian was actually sad. Taking a look at the situation, he saw that Sebastian had his eyes on Clary, not paying Jace any mind, so he tried to reach out and snatch the seraph blade from him.

Sebastian was quick to defend himself. He had an unsuspecting Jace pinned on the ground in seconds, weak from the pain in his shoulders and lack of energy.

“No!” Clary exclaimed, standing up. “Sebastian, stop!” She begged him, leaning over to pull at the back of his shirt.

“It would be so easy to kill you.” Sebastian hissed at Jace, the heat of the seraph blade drying his hair. “So easy and so worth it to have her all to myself. You’re lucky that she cares for you so much.”

Sebastian stood up and pulled Jace up by his shirt, then reached out and wrapped his arm around Clary’s shoulders, hold her against his chest. Jace grimaced at the scene in front of him. With Clary vulnerable in front of him, he was willing to do anything to keep her safe. Sebastian demanded that they return to the chambers with Jace leading, and so they did.

Once they had entered their dark, freezing room, Sebastian let go of Clary and gave her a small shove towards her side of the room. She complied with him much more than Jace did, who pulled against the shackles as he was being locked into place. In retaliation, Sebastian tightened the lock.

“That’s too much; you’re hurting him!” Clary barked at Sebastian. They both know that in order for her to cooperate, she must get her way, so Sebastian loosened Jace’s shackle _just_ enough. He then crossed the room to lock Clary in place, making sure that she was comfortable before leaving.

“Are you okay?” Clary asked quietly. The fact that only one of their arms were attached to the wall made it easier and more comfortable for them to reach out for one another, so Clary scooted forward and extended her arms as far as they would go.

Jace made the same effort after silently nodding. Their fingers barely touched, but even then, that made their whole experience better.

As soon as they had felt their bliss, the door opened. Both Clary and Jace pulled away from one another, turning to see who was standing at the door. Of course, it was their brother, clad with blankets and a single pillow.

Sebastian handed the thicker blankets to Clary, along with the pillow, then tossed a few throw blankets at Jace. Once he had left, not saying a word to either of them, Clary stood up and began to make herself a bed on the floor. She had tossed Jace a few of her blankets, and when she offered him the pillow, he quickly declined. As long as Clary was comfortable, he was fine.

They laid down and faced one another, the pain in their arms being nothing compared to how badly they felt for one another. Jace wished more than anything that he could reach out and touch Clary’s cheek. He had promised her that they were safe.

Sebastian came down to check on them every so often. Sometimes, Clary would be asleep, and Jace would be allowed to leave and use the restroom. They didn’t speak to one another; Jace feared that any anger he caused would be taken out on Clary. It felt like days went by before they established a routine. Because of the limited light, Jace was unsure of how much time they had spent in and out of that room. He did notice a pattern, though. Clary would be taken without him, but he would not be taken without Clary. Jace suspected that Sebastian knew that Jace could overpower him, but it wasn’t hard to keep Clary at bay, even when she fought with all her might.

What felt like it could have been three days after they had first arrived at the house, Jace could hear Clary screaming at Sebastian as she approached their room. When the door opened and Clary was shoved into the room, her hair was wet, and she had a red handprint on her face.

“What did you do?!” Jace screamed, pulling against the shackle he was attached to. He could feel the rusty metal rubbing against and irritating his skin.

“Oh, shut up.” Sebastian rolled his eyes, giving Clary another shove. She wore a pair of black leggings with a black t-shirt over top that looked like it belonged to Jace, but he knew that Sebastian was dressing his sister in his own clothes to fuel some sick fantasy. He never offered them socks or shoes, always keeping their feet bare. Maybe he thought that if they had nothing covering their feet, they wouldn’t try to escape from the house.

Clary’s arms were lifted over her head by Sebastian. He linked her arms into the higher cuffs. They were too tall for her, she either had to suffer from her wrist being bent at an awkward angle or stand on her tiptoes. “Sebastian,” Clary grunted as she struggled against him. “I can’t; they’re too tall.”

“You’re doing just fine, Clarissa.” Sebastian muttered, his hand forcefully holding her chin in place. He stood over her, watching her struggle for a moment, before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

“What happened?” Jace asked, feeling hatred bubble in his chest. Clary looked so desperate and she tried to balance herself and find a comfortable position. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and help her or offer her a means of comfort.

“He wouldn’t let me change in the bathroom.” Clary told Jace, her voice sounding defeated. “I tried to change under the towel, but he pulled it away.” She went into detail, looking up at a very angry Jace. “And then I punched him. He didn’t like that.”

The expression on Jace’s face lightened up at Clary confession of her attempt in fighting back.


	4. Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

“Clary, no need to go back in there, just get dressed here.” Sebastian told her, as if it was as simple as that.

Not wanting to argue with him, Clary backed herself into a corner and held the towel under her arm, then slid the cotton underwear up her legs, making sure that her body was still covered as much as it could be. She could feel his eyes on him, and it made her feel sick. She managed to get the leggings up, then tried to squeeze herself into the shirt while keeping her towel over her. Suddenly, she felt he piece of fabric being ripped away from her, exposing her entire torso. Clary yanked the shirt over her head, then reeled her arm back and let her fist collide with Sebastian’s stomach.

“What’s your problem?!” Clary exclaimed. Sebastian was angry, she could see it in his eyes. Without replying to her, he simply grabbed her arm and began to drag her out of the room and across the house. “If this is you trying to ‘make amends’, it’s not working!” She drilled into him, trying to pull her arm away. He pushed the metal door open and swung Clary into the room. She swore that her feet unintentionally left the ground for a moment, but she managed to balance herself upright.

“What did you do?!” Clary heard Jace scream, but she was too focused on how quickly Sebastian was coming towards her to remember what he said. Sebastian had shoved Clary towards her respective wall, hard enough for her to crash into the cold concrete. He grabbed her arms and lifted them over her head, then Clary felt the familiar cold metal pressed against her skin. She was standings as tall as she could but felt as though she was barely touching the ground.

“Sebastian, I can’t.” Clary said, her green eyes meeting his black ones. She hoped that he took pity on her, but she could already tell that she would have no luck with that. “They’re too tall.”

His fingers reached out and grabbed her chin, holding her face still so they could maintain eye contact. “You’re doing just fine, Clarissa.” He told her with venom in his voice.

When he walked away, Clary looked down at her toes, trying to find a comfortable standing position. There was no happy medium for her, she was going to be uncomfortable either way.

“What happened?” Jace had asked timidly.

She was almost too scared to look at him, but she knew that Jace loved her despite anything that could happen with Sebastian. “He wouldn’t let me change in the bathroom.” She whispered, her voice sounding sadder than she intended to. Seeing how angry Jace got, she continued on, trying to help change the mood. “I tried to change under the towel, but he pulled it away. And then I punched him. He didn’t like that.”

She could tell that Jace was proud of her.

They stayed quiet for a while. Clary was too busy focusing on standing up to talk. After an hour, she was beginning to get exhausted.

“Jace,” Clary muttered, feeling her body drenched in cold sweat.

“Clary, just hold on, okay? He’s gotta come back doon, he can’t just leave you.” Jace whispered, trying to spark some hope in Clary.

“It hurts so bad.” Clary whined, throwing her head back, trying to find some release. Her calves were burning, and her eyes felt like they had a thin layer of sandpaper over them.

“Sebastian!” Jace began screaming. He couldn’t stand to watch Clary suffer anymore. He continued screaming for the man that was supposed to love his girlfriend.

“Jace,” Clary whined again, his voice ringing in her ears.

It took minutes of Jace screaming for Sebastian to finally open the door. He grimaced at his pale sister, then turned to Jace, who was standing slanted, the chain around his wrist not allowing him to stand completely straight.

“Yes, brother?” Sebastian inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Please, Clary.” Jace begged. Clary was able to see Sebastian glance over at her again. She wondered what he was thinking. Did he enjoy making Jace’s skin squirm?

Either way, he took his time walking towards Clary. Once her arms were released, Clary’s knees buckled under her. The only thing keeping her up was Sebastian’s arms.

“Next time, you won’t stop me.” He whispered into her ear, then lowered her onto the blanket bed she had been sleeping on. That was not a recommendation, it was a command, and Clary knew it.

As soon as he left, Clary let herself sob herself into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

When Clary woke up, Jace was still awake. She must have not slept for long. Clary sat up and reached around to rub her aching wrists, then looked up at her loving boyfriend. He was gawking at her in surprise.

“What?” Clary asked, then looked down at herself. She realized that both of her hands were in her lap as opposed to being attached to the wall. She jumped up from her spot quickly, then looked at the wall. Sebastian must have forgotten to chain her back up, or maybe he took pity on her and let her be loose for a while. Either way, Clary was able to move.

She turned back towards Jace, then rushed to his side, looking at the chain hooked on his arm.

“Clary, its no use, I’ve been pulling at it for days.” Jace sighed. “Just… come here.” His voice was soft.

Clary listened to him and let herself crawl into his lap. They hadn’t touched since the first day they had arrived at the house, when Clary came down from her shower. Sebastian hadn’t allowed it.

Feeling a pit in her stomach, Clary leaned in to press a kiss to Jace’s lips. He gladly returned the kiss and allowed the small girl to deepen their embrace.

When Clary parted her lips to press her tongue against Jace’s, he leaned back and looked into her eyes.

“What’s going on?” He asked quietly.

“Have sex with me.” Clary whispered bluntly, her hands pressing on either side of Jace’s face.

“Clary,” Jace whispered back, looking at her pitifully. They had yet to share that intimacy yet, due to the fact that every time they had gotten close enough, Clary kept feeling Sebastian’s hands on her.

“Please, don’t let him be the one.” She begged Jace, pressing her face against his neck, too embarrassed to look into his eyes. She knew that Sebastian wanted her, and it was only a matter of time before he had her.

Jace’s free arm reached around to hold Clary close to him, squeezing her waist tightly. “He’s not going to do anything to you.” He whispered, earning a soft sob from Clary.

“You can’t promise that.” She replied, her body beginning to shake with sobs. “Please, I want it to be you.”

“It will be me, Clary, just not when you’re not ready and not in a cellar.” Jace murmured into Clary’s hair while she cried into his neck.

“Please,” She whispered again. She wondered how many women had begged Jace Herondale to sleep with them. She also wondered if he turned down any of them. “Please.” Her voice was soft as she begged her boyfriend, making her just another one of the women that she found herself envying at that moment.

With a soft sigh, Jace gave Clary’s hip a squeeze, then nudged her face out of the crook of his neck so he could press his lips to hers. She wondered if she could taste her tears as they kissed. Clary steadied her breathing while they kissed, focusing only on Jace. Her body pressed against his, close enough to feel the heat of him through their clothes.

Jace’s hand burned her skin where it touched. She felt his trail up her torso, running his fingers over her ribs. “Stop me,” Jace seemed to beg into Clary’s lips. She muttered an _uh-uh_ , denying him, then felt his hand cup her breast in his hand. His skin was rough and callous over her tender nipple, but she didn’t mind. She was glad that it was Jace’s hand and not Sebastian’s.

Clary could feel Jace’s arousal between her legs, pressing through his jeans and into her leggings. She had never seen that much of his body, but she had grown the courage to touch it one night. It wasn’t unfamiliar to her.

“I love you, Clary.” Jace reminded her while his hand trailed across her body to her back, then down the back of her leggings. She felt Jace’s hand slide from her chest across her body, then slide into the back of her leggings. He squeezed the fleshiest part of her butt, earning a gasp from the ginger’s lips.

“I love you, J-” Clary whispered against his lips, but was unable to finish his name before her body was pulled back. She wasn’t even able to gasp.

Sebastian stood over them, his chest heaving in anger, with a seraph blade drawn and touching Jace’s chest.

“No!” Clary screamed, scrambling to her feet.

“I leave you alone for _two hours_.” He growled, his evil eyes staring at Clary. “Two hours, and you jump on him? What kind of _slut_ are you, Clarissa? I expected so much from you.”

“Sebastian, stop.” Jace warned him, not daring to move, just in case his brother got too angry and decided to use his blade.

Clary was frozen, her arms crossed over her chest to hide her hardened nipples. She didn’t take her eyes off of Sebastian, too afraid that if she looked to Jace, Sebastian would absolutely lose it and do something as rash as cutting Jace’s throat. The three of them were paralyzed where they stood, none of them daring to be the first to move.

Despite the stillness in the room, Sebastian began to smirk. He had been thinking the entire time, Clary assumed. In one quick motion, Sebastian lowered his blade, then spun on his heel, lifting the opposite knee up to collide with Jace’s jaw.

“No!” Clary gasped, rushing towards them. Sebastian simply shoved her back, causing the unprepared girl to lose her footing and slide across the floor. Sebastian kept going, attacking Jace while he was unable to fight back. Clary continued fighting with Sebastian, her fists pounding on his back and neck before he could toss her away.

This continued for a few agonizing minutes until Sebastian pushed Clary back too hard, causing her to fall back and hit her head against the ground. Her vision went black, but she could still hear Jace calling out for her. She let herself rest.


	5. Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

Sebastian was fuming. He didn’t know what came over him, but when he opened the door to see his little sister mounting Jace, he moved before his mind could restrain him. Clary was in his arms, being tossed away from Jace and onto the floor across from the men. Sebastian drew his blade and placed the tip against the golden-haired boy’s chest. If he flinched, the sharp blade would have punctured through Jace’s shirt and the top few layers of skin, but Sebastian never flinched.

“No!” Sebastian had heard Clary shout out. He turned his black eyes to her, trying to maintain a calm composure. However, when he spoke, his words were just as nasty as he felt.

“I leave you alone for _two hours_. Two hours, and you jump on him? What kind of _slut_ are you, Clarissa? I expected so much from you.”

“Sebastian, stop.” Sebastian hear Jace say from his side. Sebastian knew that if he looked at the younger boy, he would kill him, so he kept his eyes locked on Clary.

None of them moved. It felt like they weren’t even breathing. A sly grin grew upon Sebastian’s face. The blade was lowered in the same instant that he turned and began to kick Jace, wanting to hear his siblings beg for mercy. When Clary began her attempts to fight the eldest, he simply shrugged her off, pushing her back by her shoulders. However, Clary managed to take Sebastian off guard by kicking the inside of his knee. That time, he turned and used his full force to shove Clary’s chest. He didn’t bother looking at her and opted to continue attacking Jace.

“Clary!” Jace had shouted out. That seemed to be the only word his brother could say. Sebastian continued on, despite Jace begging for him to stop. He looked up at his brother with his face bruised and bloody, then reached his only available hand out to grab Sebastian’s shin. “Look at her!” Jace screamed, rage almost burning Sebastian.

Deciding to humor his brother, Sebastian turned around and noticed his sweet sister lying flat on her back, her arm draped over her middle, while her already red hair turned a much darker, purer shade of red. She was bleeding.

Sebastian immediately left Jace’s side to attend to Clary.

“Clarissa?” He whispered, lifting Clary’s head up. The original would that Sebastian had caused on the day he found them had reopened, causing blood to drain out of the back of her head like a leaking icepack. She stayed unconscious in her brother’s arms while he mentally panicked but kept a cool composure to appease Jace.

“Maybe I’ve been too kind letting you stay together.” Sebastian spoke aloud, then scooped Clary into his arms. “Clarissa will be joining me in the main part of the house. You will stay down here until I learn to trust you once again.”

Jace shouted for Sebastian to stop, begging him to wait, or to heal Clary, or do something for her, but Sebastian simply carried to girl out of the room and up the stairs. Once they had reached the back bedroom, Sebastian began to let his body go through the course of panic. He placed Clary in the bathtub, not wanting her blood to stain the sheets, then he pulled his stele out from his belt while making sure he had tucked his seraph blade back into place. He began to litter her body with _iratzes_. Anywhere he could find a bare spot of her pale skin, he drew the inky mark.

“Please, Clarissa,” He whispered to himself, begging just as Jace had did. “Wake up, please.” Sebastian reached his hand to the back of Clary’s hand to check if she was still bleeding. All the blood was still warm, but he couldn’t tell if more was slowly oozing out from her scalp. He hair was still damp from her shower, and now the blood, so that made it a bit difficult for her brother to part her hair and inspect her wound, so he turned the faucet to the bathtub on and began to scoop the freezing water from under the spout over to Clary’s head and try to clean her up.

His sister woke up shivering, but he was just glad that she woke up. With a sigh of relief, he turned the water off, then sat back on his heels. He didn’t thank the Angel for much, but he muttered a thanks for reviving his sister.

“It’s cold,” Her only words were.

“Why don’t I run you a hot bath?” Sebastian replied softly. He was so angry with his sister for being intimate with Jace right under his nose, but he could only be upset for so long.

“I don’t want you to see me.” She replied. Sebastian knew exactly what she was talking about. His sister wanted privacy, and despite his desire for her, he decided to grant her that.

“I’ll leave you to yourself unless you call for me.” He promised her, knowing that he would be waiting on the other side of that door, listening for her weak voice calling out to him. He had to divert his mind before thoughts of lust began to form.

“Is Jace okay?” She asked quietly as Sebastian stood from the floor.

“I’d rather not talk about Jace right now, sister. But yes, he will be fine.” He told her before leaving the room.

* * *

Clary spent two days practically ignoring Sebastian. She would sit with him at mealtimes, then go straight back to her room, only speaking when she asked to see Jace. Sebastian was going _out of his way_ to be nice to her, and she consistently gave him the cold shoulder. He, of course, knew that the problem may be resolved with her seeing Jace, but he knew that it was torturing his brother just as much to not know if his girlfriend was alive or not.

“Let’s just skip the formalities, shall we? Seeing as nothing is coming from them.” Sebastian announced at yet another silent meal. Clary looked up from picking at her food and raised an eyebrow. “I want you to do something for me.”

“And what is that?” Clary muttered, sitting back in her chair with her thin arms crossed over her chest.

“You know exactly what it is; I need you to create a rune for me.”

They had already had this conversation. The last time that saw one another, Sebastian had asked Clary to create a rune for her, but she denied him. He had gotten so upset with her that he found himself pinning her to the ground. He shook his head to lose the thought of the way she felt under him.

“I already told you, that’s not how it works. At all.” Clary replied with a roll of her eyes. “I can’t just _create_ a rune; it has to come to me.”

“Well, make it come to you.” Sebastian replied as if it was that easy. He knew that it wasn’t, but he hoped to break up some of the tension between him and his sister.

“Wow, great idea!” Clary exclaimed overdramatically. “I can’t believe that I didn’t think of that!”

Seeing as his sister wouldn’t allow him to make amends that easily, he stood from the table and placed his dish into the sink. He felt fine leaving her alone while he was nearby because he knew that she wouldn’t attempt to leave the house without Jace. Sebastian watched the smirk grow on his sister’s face while she stared at the food that she had pushed around.

“What is it, sister?” He asked, wondering if maybe his sister had had the rune come to her.

“Don’t you get it?” Clary asked, looking up with a certain fire in her eyes. “ _You_ need _me_. You just gave me all the power.”

Anger fired up in Sebastian’s chest. How dare his sister, his tiny, weak sister, just insinuate that she was more powerful than him? He glared at her from across the kitchen. “Don’t you know how easy it would be to take that power away from you?”

The smirk fell from Clary’s face immediately. Sebastian let his black eyes wander over her body. He was so insufferably jealous that Jace got to feel her body with his own hands, and Sebastian had been so patiently waiting for the right moment. He leaned against a countertop while Clary looked back down at her plate, letting his mind wander. _Oh, the things I would do to you_ , Sebastian thought to himself. His tongue darted out and wet his pale pink lips.

“Can you stop staring at me?” Clary finally muttered, standing from the table and bringing her dish to the sink. “I get it, you have a problem with someone else overpowering you.” She began to walk away, leaving her comments up in the air as she continued muttering to herself. “If Jace were up here, you wouldn’t even _try_ half of the things you do.”

Sebastian was _sick_ of hearing Jace’s name. If it weren’t for his brat of a sister, the boy would starve to death in that room, but Sebastian knew that if he didn’t feed his younger brother, then Clary would venture down to stairs to appease him. It took three steps to catch up to Clary and wrap his hands around her arms. He whipped her around to face him, and she was already cowering away from him.

“Do you _want_ me to hurt you, Clarissa? Because you seem as though you’re asking for it.” He brought Clary closer to him by the tops of her arms, squeezing tightly enough to cause pain, but not damage. She silently shook her head, unable to look at him. “Then you better think long and hard about that rune, because the longer I go without it, the worse it’s going to be for you.” With his threat, he let Clary go, watching her rush back to her room. As soon as the door closed, he followed her and closed the lock on the outside, making sure that she wouldn’t leave until he allowed it.

Clary didn’t leave the room when he called for dinner, so Sebastian left the door locked until the following morning. When she didn’t come again, he threw her bedroom door open. Clary was laying under the blankets, everything covered but her eyes.

“Clarissa, I called you three times. I will not let you starve yourself to spite me.” Sebastian told his sister as calmly as he could.

“Just put a big ole’ fat death rune on my forehead and put me out of my misery already.” Clary groaned, pressing her palm against her forehead. Having enough of her brattiness, Sebastian rolled his eyes and walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. Before Clary could roll away from him, he climbed over top of her, his knees straddling the comforter that covered her.

“Get off!” Clary screamed, trying to maneuver herself from under him. Sebastian had had enough of her attitude and wanted to teach her that she was not going to disrespect him and get away with it.

Sebastian balanced himself on either leg while he yanked the comforter off of Clary, exposing her small figure that was layered with heavy clothes. He couldn’t help himself, he just wanted to see her, so he grabbed the hem of the hoodie she had on and yanked it up, causing her to yelp out of fear.

“Stop, Jonathan!” Clary screamed. The use of his given name caused him to pause, but only for a moment. He forcibly pulled the hoodie off of Clary, exposing her naked top half. He thanked himself silently for never going out to get Clary bras. Clary’s arms immediately crossed over her chest, obscuring Sebastian’s view of her rosy nipples and pale skin. He couldn’t deny himself any longer. His pale skin was just a shade or two lighter than his sisters. He noticed the small detail as he pulled the sweatpants down her never-ending legs. For such a short girl, her legs seemed to go on for miles.

“Kill me!” Clary began to beg as Sebastian straddled her thighs. His finger traced over the cotton underwear she wore. He noticed that she never picked any of the mesh or lace he had bought for her. “Kill me, Sebastian.”

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Sebastian spit back at her, hooking his fingers in the tops of the panties.

“You can’t, you can’t do this to me!” She began to swat at his hands. “I’m your sister; you can’t do this! Please, I’m not ready!”

Sebastian stopped at her pleas. “What do you mean you’re not ready?” He inquired, looking up at the flustered girl.

“I’ve never…” She muttered, not finishing her sentence.

“Yes, you have, I know you have. Do _not_ lie to me, Clary.”

“I’m not lying! Please, Sebastian, I’m not ready. Let me be ready, please. If you love me, you’ll wait for me.” The ginger bargained with him, causing his heart to actually beat in a note of sympathy.

Sebastian looked at Clary, trying to analyze her. When he stood up, she scrambled to cover herself, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

“Breakfast is ready. You will behave, or I will not restrain myself. Do you understand?” Sebastian ordered Clary, earning a small, frightened nod. “Get dressed and meet me at the table.”


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX 

Clary felt like she couldn’t breathe. The cold air on her bare chest caused her nipples to bead up, so she quickly wrapped her arms around herself. Sebastian continued to lower himself down her body, taking her pants with him. If she weren’t trying to keep her cool, she would be sobbing at that point, begging him to get off of her. Instead, she begged for death. She would have rather died than let Sebastian have his way with her.

She felt his finger tracing over the seam of her underwear. “You can’t do this to me!” She exclaimed. “I’m your sister; you can’t do this! Please, I’m not ready!”

She felt his hand stop in its track. “What do you mean you’re not ready?” He asked her while she tried to push his hands away.

“I’ve never…” Clary whispered, unable to finish her sentence.

“Yes, you have, I know you have. Do _not_ lie to me, Clary.” Sebastian was very upset with her, although she knew that she was being honest.

“I’m not lying! Please, Sebastian, I’m not ready. Let me be ready, please. If you love me, you’ll wait for me.” Clary continued begging, hoping to strike any good nerve in Sebastian’s body. It seemed to work, because he climbed off of her, allowing her to yank the comforter up and cover her almost nude body.

“Breakfast is ready. You will behave, or I will not restrain myself. Do you understand?” Sebastian told her. Clary nodded quickly, too afraid to speak. “Get dressed and meet me at the table.” And with that, he left.

Clary allowed herself to calm down for a moment, but she knew that if she waited too long, then he may come back and not be as kind as he just was. Clary got herself dressed, took a deep breath, then opened her bedroom door. She saw Sebastian across the large room, sitting at the table with a book, a glass of juice, and a stick of pancakes. Clary took a deep breath and crossed the room, her eyes cast down on the floor. Upon arriving in the kitchen, she grabbed a glass and timidly poured herself some juice, then poured some fruit into a bowl and walked to the table. She couldn’t bring herself to eat a pancake; she felt sick to her stomach, and the fruit alone may induce vomiting.

Clary wanted nothing more than to see Jace. Her heart yearned for him, but she was too afraid to speak, let alone ask to see her boyfriend.

As if Sebastian could read her mind, he cleared his throat. “Why don’t you take Jace some breakfast?” He suggested.

_Maybe he feels bad_. Clary thought to herself. _No, he isn’t capable of that_. She rebutted to herself. Despite that, the small girl hopped up on her feet and nodded, not able to bring herself to speak. Sebastian handed her the plate of pancakes and a bottle of water, then waved her off.

Clary’s legs carried her out of the room as quickly as they could without breaking into a sprint. The door wasn’t locked, so she pulled it open, revealing a bruised Jace with blood smeared across his face. A sob left her mouth.

“Clary!” Jace gasped, his body visibly relaxing. “Clary, baby, are you okay?” He asked as she approached him. The last time she saw him, Sebastian was kicking him relentlessly.

She dropped to her knees in front of him and placed the plate on the ground, followed by the bottle of water, then leaned against his chest, wrapping her arms as tightly as she could get them around his waist. Jace used his free arm to wrap around her shoulders and hold her close to him, allowing her to cry into his sweaty shirt.

“Are you okay?” Clary whimpered against his chest, repeating his question back to him. Obviously, she was okay. She was clean, she was fed, she was sleeping in a bed, where on the other hand, Jace had his own blood dried on his face and clothes and had been sleeping on the concrete alone.

“I’m fine, baby, I’ve just been so worried about you. He didn’t tell me anything.” Jace relayed to her. She could relax knowing that he was okay, but she was still unsettled.

Clary pulled back and looked into his eyes, then released him so she could gently rub her fingers over the bruises on his face. The tears brimmed in her eyes yet again, like they had at the sight of him. He looked so bad to her, which was something she would never say to him; his ego couldn’t handle it.

“I don’t want to be alone with him.” Clary said softly, trying to silently indicate how scared she was to Jace.

“We’re going to get out of here, okay? This isn’t forever.” Jace told her. His sweet words and calming voice were such a sweet gesture, but she knew that he couldn’t promise anything to her, and she was beginning to believe that they wouldn’t make it out of the house alive.

“Clarissa!” Sebastian called from the top of the stairs.

Clary jumped at the sound of his voice, then turned to look at Jace. “I love you. Please eat. And do what he wants.” She told him, the leaned in to press a careful kiss to his busted lip, before standing up rushing out of the room.

Seeing Sebastian, now that she knew the damage he caused Jace, made her fume with anger. It took everything out of her to not shove into him and scream at him for being an awful person. Instead, she simply brushed past him and walked to her room.

Clary knew that Jace was just there as a tool to manipulate Clary. She began to ponder ways to get Jace out of the basement, and out of the house, even if she had to stay behind with Sebastian. She was prepared to die for Jace to live. Clary was at a point where she felt like death would have been better than Sebastian.

“What, Clary?” Sebastian asked from the other side of her door. “Do you want me to apologize for not knowing that you’re a _virgin_?” He used the word like it was a curse.

“I just want to be alone.” Clary replied loud enough for Sebastian to hear.

However, the door still opened. Clary sat up immediately, prepared to fight to keep her clothes on. Sebastian walked in and plopped onto the bed next to her. When Clary was younger, before she had Simon, she had wanted a brother. Now, the thought of having any relationship with Sebastian, her real brother, made her sick.

“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, sister.” Sebastian said softly, letting his hand fall onto Clary’s knee. “One day, you will be, and then I will treat you like my queen, just how I intend for you to be.”

Clary scooted away from him, but his hand still gripped her knee. “I don’t want to be your queen.” Clary muttered, looking down in her lap. “I want to leave, and I want to marry Jace, and I want to have a long, happy life with him.”

When Sebastian’s grip tightened on her knee, she knew that she should have just kept her mouth shut. She turned to look at her brother through her curtain of red hair meekly, only to find him glaring at her with a harsh gaze.

“That is not an option for you, Clarissa. You _will_ be my queen. If you so choose to have Jace around as a pet, I will allow it as long as you obey me, but you are _mine_.” He retorted, then stood up and left her alone in the room.

* * *

Another few days passed of silence from Clary. She silently created the best plan to aid Jace’s escape, using her free time to let her eyes wander around the house. She noticed that Sebastian carried a stele and a seraph blade, as well as a concealed dagger. Her original plan was to seduce her brother until she could get her hands on one of the weapons, but she realized that Sebastian was much stronger than her, so even if she did get ahead of his expectations, he could still overpower her before she got her a good grip on the weapon.

Another idea was for her to offer to prepare dinner and lace his food with something, but that would require too much time, and Clary was never left alone except when in her room. He may turn his back to her, but it wouldn’t be enough privacy for her to rummage for any drugs. Shadowhunters didn’t use drugs, anyways. _Stupid thought, Clary._

While Clary spent most of her time thinking about Jace, she also let her mind wander towards her friends. Did Isabelle think that her and Jace ran off? Was anyone looking for them? How could she tell them that they weren’t safe? Oh, and her mother. Her mother must be worried sick. She had held Clary when they got back to Alicante, begging her to never do that again. Yet, there Clary was, stuck in the same situation that she had just gotten out of. _Alec_. Alec would be pissed at Clary. Despite his attempts at getting along with her, he will always find a fault with her. She had already accepted that.

_Wait._ Clary perked up. _Alec!_ A spark of hope lit in her chest. Alec and Jace were bonded, he was able to feel his physical pain. She hoped that Alec had felt the beating Jace received, no matter how awful the thought would have sounded out loud. Maybe that would clue their friends that they weren’t safe.

With a new inspiration, Clary began to figure out a way she could communicate that she needed help to her friends.


	7. Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

Although it wasn’t unusual for Jace and Clary to run off without warning, Alec found it quite odd that they did so during such a hectic time for everyone. They had _just_ gotten back a few days previous. It was understandable, seeing as they had been overwhelmed with the Clave pestering them with their questions before they could even brush their teeth in the morning. Jace had seen the Soul-Sword more in the days he had been back than Alec had seen it in his entire life. He felt it every time Jace restrained himself from answering; the searing pain in his forearms that traveled to his spine and then made its way throughout his body. As soon as Jace noticed how he was affecting Alec, he let the truth pour out of him.

Upon their leaving, Isabelle was distraught. She insisted that something was wrong, knowing that her best friend wouldn’t leave without notice, not after what had happened to her. Alec insisted that she was simply being a worry wart and to not relay that to Simon, her vampire boyfriend, and Clary’s childhood friend, who would only fuel her fire and cause her to worry more.

It took three days before Alec began to worry. Jace would have reached out by then, or at least Clary would have. They spoke to a very upset Jocelyn every day for updates, but there were none to give. Neither of them had reached out to anyone. Later in the evening on the third day, Alec felt a sharp pain in his jaw. He almost doubled over in the hallway of the Lightwood mansion, clenching his muscles to try and brace himself from the pain that was overwhelming him.

“Alec?” Isabelle inquired, hearing him groan from her room. She opened her door, then rushed to his side. “Alec, what’s wrong?” Isabelle asked anxiously, her brown eyes scanning her brother for any obvious reasons as to why he was in so much pain.

“Jace,” Alec grumbled out.

Once Alec recovered, they began their search for them.

It was obvious that they were in trouble. Given, Jace could be a kinky guy, but he was never into his partners _beating_ him. And they both knew that Clary wouldn’t even be able in inflict that kind of pain on Jace; she wasn’t big enough.

The last thing they wanted to do was get an exhausted Magnus involved, so it was the last thing they did. In a pit of desperation, Alec asked his boyfriend for his help.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Magnus smirked, using the tips of his fingers to lift Alec’s chin up.

The process took hours to set up and prepare for. Alec and Isabelle were sent into the city of Alicante to gather any and all of the supplies that Magnus could have possibly needed. Once they came back, their satchels full of different grasses and herbs and elements, Magnus brought them to the basement of their family’s home, where he had created an image on the ground that neither Isabelle nor Alec could make out.

“I need your hands.” Magnus said, turning to Alec.

“If you wanted to hold my hand, you should’ve just done it.” Alec joked, earning a coy grin from Magnus.

“Can you just _stop_ flirting for _two minutes_ so we can find our brother?” Isabelle snapped at the couple, finishing her statement with a rebellious stomp on the ground.

“Right, sorry.” Alec murmured, then placed his hands in Magnus’s.

“Isabelle, I need you to grab the crushed beetles and spread them all over the map.” Magnus informed the woman standing with now two satchels hanging from her shoulders. She began to rummage through the bags, then got frustrated and gently dumped the contents of the bags onto the floor.

“Okay, got it.” Isabelle said softly, then opened the glass jar so she could place the black dust accordingly on the map, as Magnus referred to it as.

“And then the spider eye, place it in the middle. You can step on it, just be light-footed.” Magnus requested of Isabelle. He watched her cautiously step into the image he had created, then place the tiny eye in the exact middle.

Alec wondered how the process was going to go, how all of these items could help them find Jace and Clary.

“And the wheatgrass,” Magnus noted, then made a motion with his hands. Isabelle copied it, spreading the grass over the map.

It seemed a bit ridiculous to Alec now, how they had gotten bags worth of items, for Magnus only to start the spell after three were in use.

“I’m going to prick your finger. The parabatai bond will help guide the spider eye to where Jace is.” Magnus explained, reaching for the dagger that Alec had sheathed in his belt. Alec allowed it and watched his boyfriend work his magic. “Close your eyes.” Magnus whispered after a moment of nothing happening.

Alec did as he was told and felt an immense heat adjacent to him. He wanted to look and check on his sister, but Magnus squeezed his hands, silently telling him to trust the process.

“Woah,” Isabelle muttered after a few moments. Magnus released Alec’s hands, allowing him to open his eyes. The three of the observed the map.

“What is it?” Alec asked quietly after a moment of being unable to read the scorch marks on his floor.

“This,” Magnus pointed to a rather large rectangular shape, “Is us.” His hand followed a scorched trail to the spider eye, only about two feet away. “This is Jace.”

“They’re here?” Isabelle asked incredulously. “There’s no way, they can’t be here.”

“Very observant, Muffin.” Magnus said, pointing his long finger at Isabelle. He seemed to have an affinity for referring to women as breakfast pastries. “Look at where they are, though. Look around. There are no manors _anywhere_.”

“The old Morgenstern manor was just a few acres over.” Alec whispered, trying to figure out the map, mentally picturing a map of all the family manors. “There’s no way; it burnt down _years_ ago. Before Isabelle was even born.”

“You _have_ met the Morgensterns, yes? Nothing is impossible with them.” Magnus alluded to Alec not knowing something.

Curious blue eyes looked up to meet his sister’s doe eyes. _They’re in the Morgenstern manor_. The siblings shared the same thought without knowing it.

Immediately, Alec went to suit up, but Magnus caught him sweetly by his elbow. “Honey, do you think it’s such a great idea to go _right now_?” He asked, then looked to Isabelle, letting her know that the question applied to her as well. “Neither of you know what you’re getting in to, and it would be much smarter to go in the daytime, _with help_. I can be of assistance, but only after I get my beauty rest.”

“Your beauty rest?!” Isabelle snapped. “You go ahead and get your _beauty rest_ , my brother is in trouble, and I won’t lose him to the same person I lost Max to _again!_ ” The young girl shouted. Alec hadn’t mentioned feeling anything since that first occurrence, but his rune still showed dark black against his porcelain skin. Jace was still alive, but only for now.

“Isabelle,” Alec said, taking a step towards her, his face guarded, mirroring Isabelle’s expression. “Magnus is right, we’re tired. We need to rest and get ready before we step into this. We don’t know what he has.”

“I want Simon to come.” Isabelle stated, and Alec nodded in agreement. “Go tell him, get him ready. We’ll leave in the morning. Tell Jocelyn and Luke as well. They should know, and they may be able to help us.”

“I don’t want Jocelyn to see him.” Isabelle said, and with that, Alec knew that Jocelyn was out of the question. “I’ll alert the Penhallows. They’re too lazy to help us anyways.” The insult wasn’t a joke to Isabelle; she was still upset with the way Jia treated Jace and Clary the first time they escaped from Sebastian, and Alec knew it. He would have known it without the insult, because he felt the same way.

The next morning, Alec woke up from yet another restless sleep, but this morning he felt more energized than normal. He was excited to get his brother back, and hopefully get rid of Sebastian. Magnus woke up with Alec, and they immediately began to prepare themselves. After a quick breakfast, blood for Simon, and Isabelle and Alec runing one another, they geared up and started their trek over the grassy hills that would lead them to the empty plot of the Morgenstern land.

“There’s nothing here.” Simon noted, looking between the two Lightwood siblings. Alec reached out to Magnus, but he was already two steps ahead of them. He closed his eyes and reached his hands in front of him, focusing intently on his task. Alec placed a solid hand on his shoulder, offering some of his energy, knowing that his could be replaced with a rune, but Magnus’s needed more time.

The group simultaneously blinked, and suddenly, a giant mansion appeared before their eyes. Magnus had done it, and it had appeared to take quite the toll on him.

“Whoever glamoured this _really_ didn’t want it to be found.” Magnus commented quietly, then took a step back, allowing the Shadowhunters to take the lead. So, they did, putting their game faces on.

They quietly opened the door, their soundless and stealth runes taking over. Alec looked to Isabelle, then scanned the main room they had stepped into. It wasn’t nearly as grand as the Lightwood Manor, but it was still a large house. Alec knew that they would have quite a bit of struggle searching the house. However, as if it were a sign sent from the Angel himself, Simon pushed through them and walked into the house.

“Simon!” Isabelle hissed at him, following him in with her blade drawn.

“Blood.” He said simply. Alec would have kissed his feet if it were appropriate.

They followed Simon across the room they were standing in and towards a port in the wall, which led to a staircase. Walking upon the scene, all Alec saw was Sebastian sitting on his knees and Clary’s kicking legs underneath him. He saw Jace’s arm flat on the ground but could still hear his voice shouting. Alec loaded his bow and fired an arrow directly into Sebastian’s back. He fell forward, directly over top of Clary, causing her to let out a muffled yelp.

“ _Jace!_ ” Alec shouted, begging for a reply.

“ _Alec!_ ” His brother shouted back, causing relief to floor his veins. All was well, and the four began to make their way down the stairs, Alec taking them two at a time, but all of them stopped at the sight of Sebastian’s arm moving to yank the arrow out of his shoulder. The lean blonde stood up quickly, facing the mixed rescue group, his face red with anger. He broke the arrow in half, then leaned over and easily pulled Clary up off the ground by her arm.

“Alec, don’t!” Jace hissed. He must have felt Alec’s immediate reaction to load his bow yet again.


	8. Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

Clary’s plan was perfect, all she needed was a stele. She was going to send a message to _anyone_ in the Lightwood house, signaling that they needed help. The tricky part was acquiring the necessary tool. She thought of many different ways she could get it without directly interacting with Sebastian, but she ended up at a dead end each time. There was no way she could pickpocket the stele without him noticing.

So, instead, Clary decided to give him a spark of hope. When she woke up that morning, she showered and dressed herself in her normal, casual attire, then began to bang on her locked bedroom door. “Sebastian!” Clary exclaimed, her voice sounding more convincing that she expected.

She heard the lock one the outside turn a few seconds later, revealing a very curious Sebastian. “What is it?” He inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

“The rune, I saw it.” Clary told him, her chest heaving as though she had run to him.

“ _My_ rune?” He asked. Clary watched his hand fly to his belt. “The one to replace the Mortal Cup?”

When Sebastian first told Clary about the rune, he described it as _the most powerful rune to exist_. He wanted a way to turn his prisoners into his devout followers without needing them to drink blood from the Mortal Cup. Clary instantly refused, claiming that she would never create that, and even if she could, the Angels would never send her a vision for it.

“Yes, give me your stele.” She said, placing her hand out flat. The action itself caused Sebastian to raise a noticeable eyebrow, but Clary tried to ignore it in hopes to lower his suspicions.

“Why can’t you just draw it on paper?” He asked, offering a safer alternative, but Clary shook her head in denial.

“That’s not how it works, I can’t _create_ it without the stele.

After a moment of weighing his options, the stele was placed in Clary’s hand, and immediately after she took it, Sebastian wrapped his fingers around her arm.

“Don’t try to create a portal.” He warned her.

“I wouldn’t leave Jace.” Clary said softly, then shook his arm off of her. “I can’t focus if you’re touching me.”

Sebastian took a step back, giving Clary the space she needed. She raised the stele in the air, closed her eyes, and paused for a moment, making it as believable as possible. After taking a deep breath, Clary extended her arm out and let her elbow collide with Sebastian’s stomach, causing him to double over. The ginger took no time in running out of the room, slamming and locking the door behind her, then dashing towards the basement. As she ran, Clary scribbled some fighting and stamina runes on herself.

She kicked the basement door open and pushed it closed in one movement, startling a pale Jace. He wasn’t used to not getting his 3,000 calories in daily, so he had become quite ill. Clary ran to his side and scribbled runes on him, hoping to aid him in a fight that they might need to participate in, then used an unlocking rune to open his shackle. Jace seemed to gaze at her in awe, giving Clary a boost of confidence. She stood a bit taller.

“What’s going on?” He asked her quietly, a smirk growing on his face as he felt himself become stronger with the help of the fresh runes.

“ _You think you’re going to get away again?_ ” Sebastian’s voice boomed through the house.

Clary pushed Jace back so he would hide behind the door, then anxiously stood in the middle of the room, allowing herself to be bait for Sebastian. She knew that Jace understood her plan, because he made himself flat against the wall, his eyes directly on Clary.

“Sister, how naïve do you think me to be?” Sebastian huffed as he entered the room. Although he stalked towards her, he was not taken off guard when Jace threw himself out from behind him. Sebastian fought Jace with ease, which wasn’t shocking to Clary; they had learned their brutal fighting techniques from the same man.

Clary watched in horror as her brother and her boyfriend punched and kicked one another, neither of then making any sounds to indicate weakness. The room was silent until Sebastian drew a seraph blade from his belt.

“Wait, stop!” Clary announced, but neither of them looked away from one another. They had stopped fighting, however, allowing themselves to catch their breath. The stele was still in Clary’s hand, steady as a rock. She lifted the stele to her skin and allowed her hand to move freely, but the tingling sensation stopped, and Clary saw that Sebastian now held both the stele and his blade. Immediately, he reached out for Jace, who ducked and weaved around him, avoiding the glowing blade to his best ability.

“Did father never teach you how to fight honorably? Come now, brother, we both know that I’m stronger than you, but there’s no reason to draw your weapon.” Jace smirked cockily at Sebastian, tilting his head to the side as he continued to anticipate every movement that his counter was making.

They continued to just miss one another until Clary saw Jace find the confidence to reach around and grab the blade by the hilt. He yanked the sword from Sebastian and tossed to the side, muttering Clary’s name as he did so. Clary took his hint and scrambled towards the blade but stopped in her tracks when her brother spoke.

“I wouldn’t do that, Clarissa.” Sebastian warned. Clary dared to look over her shoulder and see that Sebastian had managed to restrain Jace. It looked almost humorous to see the lanky boy with his arm wrapped around his slight shorter, much more muscular, brother. The tip of the stele was pressed against Jace’s arm, while he was shouting for her to get the blade, but then Clary noticed Jace’s body go limp in Sebastian’s arms. Her brother simply dropped the boy he was holding and stalked towards Clary.

Clary turned and darted towards the blade, but tripped over an extended leg, and fell straight to the ground, managing to catch herself before her chin hit the concrete. Sebastian’s hand curled around her ankle and yanked her back, causing her shirt to ride up and her skin to scrape against the rough, dirty ground. She felt her skin break, but the pain didn’t follow. Clary extended her arm as far as it would go, trying to somehow will the sword to make its way to her, despite the growing distance between them.

Sebastian easily flipped Clary over and straddled her hips. She felt a sense of panic overcoming her, kicking in her new instinct to fight. Her legs began to move, pushing her hips up in hopes that it would knock Sebastian off balance. He simply put more pressure on her narrow hips, pinning her firmly to the ground. All while that was happening, Clary was pounding her fists against his chest, aiming for his groin, anything to get him off of her. Sebastian’s hands moved to grab Clary’s next, squeezing her airway to the point of making her vision go spotty, but Clary continued to fight. She felt panic trying to excrete into her veins, but she remembered to stay calm, just like she had learned from Jace when they first met. Clary’s arms threaded between her brother’s and she tried to get him to bend his elbows by forcing her arms against the nooks in his arms, but she had no luck.

Just as an oxygen deprived Clary felt her head get heavy, Sebastian’s hands loosened from around her throat and he slumped forward over her. In an attempt to gasp for air, she ended up making an ugly, guttural noise.

“ _Jace!_ ” Clary heard a familiar voice from a short distance away. _Alec,_ Clary felt happiness for the first time in days.

“Alec!” Jace shouted back, his voice weak.

_Jace is okay._ Clary told herself. He was okay, she was okay, they were safe.

However, Clary felt her brother twitch from on top of her, noticing how his muscles tensed when he reached behind him. Suddenly, her brother was off of her and yanking her off of the ground by her arm. Her vision was blurry due to the lack of oxygen she had just experienced, but she could still head Jace warning Alec to stop, and a sharp pinch at her already tender neck.

“Ah, Isabelle Lightwood.” Sebastian growled. Clary blinked a few times until she could make out the figures just meters in front of her.

“Simon,” Clary whimpered, her voice coming out more desperate than she expected. She was so relieved to see her friends scattered on the stairs at the entry of the room, even though Alec, at the head of the group, had an arrow pointed directly at her.

“What a nice surprise,” Sebastian continued on. “Did you come to play house with my siblings and me? We could always use another woman around here.”

“Don’t speak to my sister.” Alec grumbled, taking a sidestep to block his younger sister from view.

“If I can’t speak to _your_ sister, then you aren’t allowed to speak to mine.” Sebastian bargained, earning a collective eye roll from everyone in the room. How could someone so admittedly intelligent be so immature?

Clary felt Sebastian squeeze her upper arm even tighter, causing her to try and pull away, but then she felt the pinch at her neck again. Connecting the dots, Clary figured that Alec had shot Sebastian, causing him to fall over her, then he took that arrow and was holding it to Clary’s neck.

“Do it, Alec!” Clary shouted, staring at the arrow that was already loaded and pulled taut in the bow.

“Alec, don’t!” Jace shouted adjacent to her. She knew that Jace was only worried for her, but she wanted to be rid of the nuisance that was Sebastian.

Clary could see the obvious conflict on Alec’s face. He wanted the same as Clary; to stop Sebastian, but it was so hard for him to ignore his parabatai. After thinking for a moment, no longer than a moment, Alec let the arrow fly. Sebastian used Clary to block the arrow, and she felt it lodge in her shoulder, but she couldn’t find the energy to let herself shout in pain. Immediately following the first arrow, a second one flew, then a third one. Those struck Sebastian in his shoulder and thigh, and his attention moved from holding Clary tightly to trying and appease the newly found pain. Clary fell forward, not being able to hit the ground before Simon had grabbed her. He didn’t give her a second to adjust, but instead pulled her towards the rest of the group.

“Get your hands off of her, Daylighter!” Sebastian screamed, his hands still coddling his arrow wounds. Isabelle stepped out from behind Sebastian and used her silver whip to wrap around Sebastian’s torso, holding his arms in place.

“Jace,” Clary breathed out, her body exhausted. Simon looked up to Alec, who had his eyes on his sister. Clary observed him quickly cross the room, heading straight towards Jace.

“Cut the damn rune.” Jace grunted, and Clary saw exactly what he was talking about. Sebastian had drawn a messy paralyzing rune on his shoulder. Alec took a dagger and sliced through the rune, earning a soft hiss from both of them at the pain.

It took Jace a second to move, but when he did, he was quick as ever. He placed a thankful hand on Alec’s shoulder, then rushed to the entry way where Clary was sitting with Simon.

“I told you to not fly the arrow.” Jace said, turning towards Alec after observing the arrow the punctured Clary’s fragile skin.

“I’m fine,” Clary insisted, then watched Jace pull the stele out of Alec’s belt and turn back towards her. He gave her only a nod of his head as warning before yanking the arrow out of her flesh. Clary hissed in reply, but the instant burn of an _iratze_ being drawn evened out her sensation.

“Clary, don’t leave.” Sebastian shouted as Simon and Jace assisted her in standing.

“After everything that’s happened this past week, you expect me to _stay_ with you?” Clary asked, staring Sebastian down with a genuinely confused look on her face.

“Magnus, will you please contact Jia and ask her to send the Silent Brothers to the Morgenstern manor?” Alec asked his boyfriend quietly, but loud enough for Clary to hear.

“You can’t hide from me; I will always find you. You can’t get away.” Sebastian warned her, but Jace was already leading Clary up the stairs.

“Simon, please stay with her.” Jace muttered, leaving Clary with her best friend, then turned back to stay and assist his siblings if they needed him.

Simon led Clary up the remainder of the stairs, then brought her to a couch, allowing her to sit and relax. She saw the door to the room she was staying in had literally been busted down.

“You’re okay, Clary.” Simon muttered, wrapping his arm around Clary’s shoulders, bringing her into his chest. She hadn’t noticed that she started crying, but when she felt the security of Simon, she let herself weep, grabbing onto his shirt. She had no idea why she was crying; her body was too numb to experience the sensation of pain. Maybe she was just exhausted, but too anxious to sleep. Whatever the reason, she let Simon comfort her until she had ran out of tears.


	9. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Once they got back to the Lightwood manor, Clary and Jace were even more inseparable than before. Many nights, Alec or Isabelle would go and check on them, just to make sure that they hadn’t been taken left in the middle of the night, only to find them wrapped up with one another. It was certain that every single time, without a doubt, one would be holding the other. Most nights, it would be Jace with his arms around Clary, holding her so close to his chest that the person checking on them wondered how she could even breathe, let alone sleep.

On the contrary, some nights Clary would be holding onto Jace the way a baby money held onto its mother. Her arms would be resting across his waist and her fists would be balled up in his shirt, if he chose to wear one on the given night. It broke the Lightwoods hearts to see them so desperate to be next to one another. Neither Jace nor Clary had spoken about what had happened during their absence, and no one pushed them to talk about it, knowing they would when they were ready.

Sebastian had been taken to Silent City, where he would await trial in their prison, held back by chains formed from demon metal. It was torture in and of itself to be simply touching the same material that his father had beat him with, and the fact that is was touching his skin at every moment of the day brought him even more pain. They began treating him with cleansing treatments, trying to expel the demon blood out of him, to make him a normal Nephilim like he was supposed to be, but they found that it was just not that simple.

Jace and Clary found themselves within a six-foot distance of one another at all times. They would wait for one another outside of the bathroom, sit knee to knee at the table, follow one another across the house. Clary had even asked Jace to sit and talked with her while she showered every few times, needing the comfort that only his voice could bring her. Jace always respected her privacy and kept his eyes down in his lap while she washed herself, until the fourth time he sat with her. Clary had opened the shower curtain, looking at Jace with pink cheeks, then quietly asked him to join her.

Jace hesitantly undressed, giving Clary plenty of time to change her mind or ask him to stop. When she didn’t and Jace stepped into the tub with her, Clary pressed her nude body against him and ran her fingers through his newly wet hair. The wounds on his face had healed nicely after a few _iratzes_ and some rest, as did the scrapes on Clary’s stomach from being dragged on the floor. However, there was significant bruising around her neck where her brother had held her airway closed.

Nothing could make Clary ugly.

Jace pressed his callous palm gently against Clary’s face, then met her lips in a sweet kiss. He didn’t dare let his hands roam until his girlfriend allowed him to. When she did, however, Jace still took it very slow. He started on her waist, then followed the steamy water down to her hip, letting his hands slide down to her legs. This was the furthest that had ever gotten. Clary had seen his body nude, touched him while he had clothes on, but never both at the same time, save for her hands on his bare chest. He had seen Clary in the same sense, but never touched her below her waist when her clothes were off. He was too nervous to cross that line with her, wanting her to be prepared the first time they made that type of contact.

Jace lifted Clary off of the ground with ease, their mouths still connected. By that point, Jace was highly aroused by the mere thought of intimacy with Clary. He small hands rubbing across and through his hair only added to the immense amount of pleasure he was experiencing. Jace pressed Clary’s back against the wall, causing her to break their kiss and arch forward with a hiss.

“What?” Jace exclaimed, holding onto her tightly.

“Cold,” Clary whispered, slowly lowering herself back onto the wall. Her feet pressed against Jace’s back and her thighs tightened around his waist as they kissed. She hoped that he would take her silent greenlight to proceed.

It took Jace a few minutes of simply kissing before hesitantly lowering Clary onto himself. He felt her stop kissing him, so he stopped as well, but Clary squeezed him with her knees, insisting that he continue. Jace did so, adjusting Clary in his grip so he could hold her with one arm and the support of the bathroom tile, while using his other arm to reach below her and adjust them so they would line up perfectly. Once he had just barely begun to press himself into her, he moved his hand back to offer her extra support.

It took a lot from Jace to not moan at the simple feeling of her. Cleary dug her nails into Jace’s shoulders, probably as an indication that she was either satisfied, or getting used to the feeling of him. Jace commended himself for his strength, seeing as he continued the agonizingly slow pace instead of slamming Clary’s hips down against his. He wanted her to enjoy it and have the ability to sit comfortably afterwards.

Jace was almost fully inside of her before she cried out. Unsure of Clary had made the noise in pleasure or pain, he stopped in his tracks.

“Too much,” Clary mumbled, dropping her head to Jace’s shoulder.

_Pain, you fucking idiot_. Jace chastised himself for going too quickly. He knew that Clary had never experienced anything sexual before him, and he was moving way too fast. Jace nearly pulled out, causing Clary to gasp and dig her nails into his shoulders.

“That was good.” She whispered. Jace cocked an eyebrow, then began to slowly lower Clary once again, not going as far down as he did the previous time, then pulled back out. He set a slow, steady rhythm until Clary was asking for more, then he granted her what she wanted. They continued that way until they were both too tired to go on. Neither of them finished, but that was never the goal. The water was freezing cold when Jace lowered Clary onto the ground, and she immediately began crying into his chest.

Jace’s heart broke. He knew that Clary had feared every single day that she spent with Sebastian, that he would have his way with her. She had made that very clear multiple times. She lost her virginity in a shower so she could feel like she had control over herself. Jace held her and let her cry until she was shivering. Jace only pulled away from her to turn the water off and grab a towel for her.

“I’m sorry,” Clary said as she held the towel around her shoulders.

“Don’t be, Fray.” He whispered, giving her a sad smile. “I understand.”

And he did.

Jace grabbed a towel for himself, then stepped out of the tub and assisted Clary in doing so as well.

“It was good.” Clary mentioned as she adjusted the towel to wrap around he body, hoping that Jace didn’t feel like he had taken advantage of her or anything.

He simply chuckled and placed a kiss to her forehead. “It was for me, too.”

“Really?” Clary asked curiously, raising her eyebrows.

Jace nodded and placed a hand on her back. “Oh, yeah.” He whispered, then led her out of the bathroom and into the room they shared. They both got dressed and Clary wrapped her hair up in her towel, then they laid on the bed next to one another, the only thing touching being their hands.

“It kind of hurt.” Clary whispered after a while, her green eyes casted up at the ceiling.

“Yeah,” Jace whispered, turning his head so he could admire her. “I wouldn’t have expected it to be the most comfortable thing ever.” Before his eyes, tears began to flow unexpectedly down Clary’s face. “What’s wrong?” Jace asked, reaching his free hand over to wipe the side of her face closest to him.

“I’m just really glad that it was you.” Clary replied sadly. “I can’t stop thinking about him. He said that we can’t hide from him. What if he comes back?”

“Clary, you saw the Silent Brothers take him. He can’t get away, and if he does, then the entire Clave will be here to protect you.”

“But Valentine,” Clary started, turning her head to face Jace.

“Sebastian is _not_ Valentine. He’s just a kid, like us.” Jace countered her, not allowing her mind to go on and on and let her spiral into anxiety. “You’re safe here. I’m not letting you go, Clary.”

The tears stopped flowing, but they still brimmed in Clary’s eyes. Jace leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, hoping to ease her anxiety and bring her back from whatever ledge she had found herself on.

“Let’s go see what Alec and Izzy and Simon are doing.” Jace suggested, then sat up. Clary followed suit, taking the towel off of her head and dropping it onto the bed. They separated long enough to roll off of their bed and meet again on the floor, before exiting the bedroom.

Their friends acted like nothing had ever happened, even though the couple knew that they still checked on them nightly. Alec had many sleepless nights as he patrolled the house, checking on not only his parabatai, but his sister. However, that stopped once Alec interrupted a makeout-session between Isabelle and her boyfriend. She shouted at him to ease up, calling him a hall monitor.

It had made Alec so uneasy when Sebastian showed interest in his sister. From an outside perspective, Alec could understand that his sister was desirable. She was beautiful and tall and had a very womanly figure, but she was young. Only seventeen. However, if Sebastian fawned over his own sister, he most likely had no problem with his sister being a legal minor.

Simon could tell a dramatic change in Clary, more than the first time. She seemed more timid, even around him. He wondered if this was something she would get over, or if she was always going to be in a constant state of guarded. He wondered if Jace got to see a more colorful side of her, similar to the way she was in her youth. Jealousy sparked, but not from desire to be with Clary romantically. Instead, he was jealous at the thought of Jace being the only one to see a powerful Clary. He hoped that he would see her once again, her big, goofy grin and hear her snort when she laughed too hard.

Isabelle was just grateful to have everyone back and safe. The week that she went without Jace and Clary drove her up the wall. Clary was the only girl Isabelle felt comfortable around, and without her, she was stuck with men. It was terrifying; she had no idea how she lived before the ginger ran into their lives at full speed.

When Jace and Clary came down into the sitting room together, both of their hair being soaked, Isabelle raised an eyebrow. The more she thought about it, the more she recalled the shower running for upwards of thirty minutes. Neither of them had a reason to be in the shower that long. It took the will of the Angel for Isabelle to keep her mouth shut.

_It’s not your business, Izzy_. She told herself repeatedly. However, she gave Clary a look that told her that she needed to talk to her.

“What?” Clary asked her when she sat down, Jace’s hand held tightly in hers.

“Can I speak to you? Just over there,” Isabelle nodded to the adjacent book room, which was connected by an empty threshold. She knew that Clary wouldn’t get far enough away from Jace, just to keep her guard up.

“Sure.” Clary said hesitantly. Isabelle jumped up from her spot and grabbed Clary’s hand, then led her to the room. She could feel Jace’s eyes on her, but she didn’t bother to look back.

“Are you having sex?” Isabelle whispered as soon as they got far enough away.

“So what if I am?” Clary asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest. They both kept their voices as quiet as they could get.

“Uh, hello? That’s exciting!” Isabella placed her hands gently on Clary’s shoulders, a giant grin on her face.

Clary saw Isabelle as a sex icon. They girl could seduce a rock if she wanted to. “How can you tell?” She asked bashfully, wondering if it was obvious or not.

“Well, one of you could have at least dried your hair.” Isabelle noted with a shrug. The girls shared a giggle with one another. In that moment, things felt normal, and Clary held onto that as long as she could.

**Author's Note:**

> At the time of posting, I am currently on chapter six! Updates will most likely be every other day. Thank you for reading!


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